NEW DELHI: A group of United Nations rights experts has written to the Indian government expressing concerns regarding the death threats received by Dalit journalist, Meena Kotwal, and the failure of the police to take cognizance of the same.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and other UN experts said that they wrote to the Government of India on 3 February this year regarding this and the communication remained confidential for 60 days before being made public, during which time the Indian government was expected to respond. However, the government did not respond during this period, they alleged.
The undersigned include the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights defenders, Mary Lawlor; Special Rapporteur on the promotion and
protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye;
Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand de Varennes; and the Working
Group on the discrimination against women and girls, the members of which
include Melissa Upreti (chair), Dorothy Estrada-Tanck (vice-chair),
Elizabeth Broderick, Ivana Rada?i? and Meskerem Geset Techane.
In the communication to India, the UN rights experts expressed their serious
concerns regarding what appears to be a deliberate and sustained campaign of
threats and abuse towards Meena Kotwal.
“We are deeply concerned by the numerous threats against her life and
physical integrity, and at the coordinated attempts by unknown individuals
to further intimidate and threaten her. The intimidation of and threats
against Ms Kotwal is particularly concerning, as it appears to be in direct
retaliation for her exercising of her right to freedom of opinion and
expression online, which in this instance involves a protest against the
oppression of women, among whom Dalit women are disproportionally subjected
to multiple forms of discrimination and violence and extremely marginalized,
constituting a violation of international human rights law and standards,”
they said.
Meena Kotwal is a Dalit woman human rights defender, journalist, and the
founder of ‘The Mooknayak’, an online news channel and website that covers
issues related to the persecution of the Dalit minority and marginalised
people. It also advocates for social justice and democracy for the
marginalised.
